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Some people think that cleaning is for the weekend–and it has to take a full day to get done. The truth is that’s really not what people with clean houses do. And cleaning all day every Saturday or Sunday really isn’t realistic!
Busy people know that doing small cleaning jobs consistently is much easier than a whole day of cleaning. Here are 10 things people with clean houses do on a daily basis.
1. People with Clean Houses Make the Bed
Starting your day off by making your bed will set the spirit of order and organization that you need to carry throughout the rest of your day. It’s quick and simple, and both puts you in the clean mood and also makes your bedroom look much better.
2. Stay on Top of Organization
When everything has a place, things rarely clutter up the house for long. Stay organized by adding some cubbies or boxes to store things around the house. And when it’s time to put something back in its place, don’t wait.
3. Unload the Dishwasher Daily
While it may be tempting to leave the clean dishes in the dishwasher and just pull whatever you need out of it, that’s not a good idea. People with clean houses get into the habit of running the dishwasher nightly, and putting the dishes away every morning. During the day, dirty dishes go right into the dishwasher instead of cluttering the sink.
4. Don’t Procrastinate Small Messes
Don’t ever tell yourself “I’ll get that later” if it’s an easy clean up. People with clean houses don’t let small messes wait. Small messes just turn into bigger messes if you let them!
5. People with Clean Houses Leave Shoes by the Door
Shoes, especially during the winter, are responsible for tracking lots of dirt into your house. That’s why people with clean houses leave their shoes by the door when they come in.
6. Clean as You Go
Don’t save all your cleanup for after dinner. Take a few extra minutes and clean as you go. Wipe up spills on the counters, and put dishes you’ve dirtied into the dishwasher.
7. Tidy Up Before You Go
Take five minutes and tidy up before you go–to work, or to run errands, or before bed at night. Get the family’s help to put away toys, pick up pillows, stow away shoes, etc. As needed, do a quick sweep or run with the vacuum for small messes.
8. Open Windows & Doors
This may seem small, but take a few minutes every day to open the doors or windows, weather permitting. Airing out your home really makes a difference.
9. Set a Specific Day for Laundry
Don’t wait until your hamper is overflowing. Set a specific day {or two or three, depending on the size of your family} to do laundry each week. If you stay on top of the laundry your home will feel cleaner and you’ll have clean clothes available every day.
10. Clean out the Fridge
It may seem like too much, but it’s a good idea to clean out the fridge each week. Throw out any expired food and wipe up any sticky spills.
Great, common sense suggestions for managing the clean up of the house. Thanks for posting!
I clean out my fridge the night before garbage day. No smelly leftovers in the garbage. I also try to clean and organize the fridge before I grocery shop.
I like to do what mj does, organize and clean refrigerator the day before trash goes out. I also try to coordinate this with being ready to do a big grocery shop. Another tip, sounds crazy but if meat has spoiled wrap well in grocery store bags, mark for dicard and place in trash just before pickup. This will prevent mess and odor.
During the warm summer months like the packages from chicken I wrap in the plastic grocery sacks an put them in the deep freeze till trash night. So cans don’t get super smelly and attract flies
I like to do what mj does, organize and clean refrigerator the day before trash goes out. I also try to coordinate this with being ready to do a big grocery shop. Another tip, sounds crazy but if meat has spoiled wrap well in grocery store bags, mark for dicard and place in trash just before pickup. This will prevent mess and odor. I meant to add the meat is to be frozen until trash day
Yes, I grew up freezing meat until trash day and it is a great solution to keep garbage cans from smelling, especially in the summer heat!
Yeah, until you forget about it each week and end up with a freezer full of frozen trash!
You can set a reminder on your phone to stuff from freezer for garbage, or leave a post it note reminder on fridge door. Just a thought.
I rinse out all my cans before I toss them and never have any smell. I also take my veggie bins out and line my fridge with Press and Seal wrap, so when there is a spill, I pull it up and put another piece down and it is clean again
Great idea to get in the habit of doing.
This is how I have always been…..
I’ve read that shelf liners sometimes set off a sensor that causes the refrigerator to not cool properly so maybe thats not the best idea…..
Interesting! I have never heard that, but it makes sense. I will have to look into it and update this!
Taking 30 seconds (literally) to wipe down every bathroom sink every day makes a difference too!
Yes, especially with kids (my kids!) who spit toothpaste in it and don’t wipe it out!
Maybe you should get out the cleaning supplies and let the kids clean up their toothpaste and miscellaneous sink messes-especially after they’ve hardened. Explain them that if they suite up their messes right away it won’t be so hard for THEM too clean up next time. This worked great for boys “missing the toilet” and having to clean up after everything was smelly and dried on.
I have a container of Clorox wipes in each bathroom, so it is really easy to wipe down counters, sinks, etc. Just pull out a wipe and go to town. Fast, easy and no excuses.
Before I start to cook a meal, I fill the sink with hot soapy water. As I cook I put the pans, spoons & what ever I use in the hot water. While I’m waiting for something to cook, I wash the things in the sink. Sometimes I might need a spoon again it’s clean and ready to use.
What a great idea! I am going to start this. I am terrible about cleaning up as I go, when I am cooking. This will make it so much easier!
Funny, I do the same thing. Not for cutlery but for pots and pans and things that just shouldn’t go in the dishwasher. I also get my dishcloth hot and soapy every morning so as I’m getting things done, I clean up after myself.
Love this idea and am going to do that.
Brilliant tip
That’s a good tip 🙂
My mother always did that when I was growing up-she emphasized cleaning add you go in the kitchen and it works not having all the large pots and pans and the miscellaneous utensils to clean up along with the meal dishes. Everything at once seems to be so overwhelming.
I Love That Idea I Just Have A Terrible Time Getting the Stopper To Work
Another tip, I put empty cat cans in a freezer bag in the freezer until trash day. Dump the cans and re-use the freezer bag again with the cans.
Why not rinse them out and then recycle them instead of creating more waste?
Surely you should wash them out with hot soapy water and then they don’t smell whilst waiting for recycling day?
The point is is not to have cat food down the sink (beyond what is on the spoon) and to stink up the sink which is attached to the dishwasher. In a freezer bag, resolves the problem, which I don’t forget each trash day. Recycling just about everything else just not that.
I notice two large plastic jugs of milk stored in the door of the fridge in the last picture. Just read recently by fridge experts that milk should be stored in the main area of the fridge due to how the fridge is cooled.
Lickery, I also heard the same about milk and dressings etc that contain dairy should not be stored in the door because it doesnt keep them cold enough.
My apologies on spelling error of name..Lickety… auto correct
I clean my bathtub using a wet mop. Saves me having to bend over on my knees and suffering needless kneecap and lower back pain. The mop cleans up in seconds rather than minutes.
It’s so nice to hear “clean sisters” such as myself!! LOL. I get teased many times by my 23 y/o daughter and fiance by my “excessive tideness.” Regarding one of the women who stated she uses a mop (great idea as well!☺) to clean her bathtub, etc. For me; I find I like to use a quality Nylon broom I keep solely for this purpose. It gets my tub (and walls, etc) nice and clean and shiny without me having to injure my arthritic back and jeapordize my hip surgery. My fiance actually informed me of this tip from his mom, now 86 who was a professional cleaning woman for several elite clients years earlier.
A broom is a great idea!
Brilliant idea! I suppose you could wipe the towels dry using the same method?
Have you all tried e-cloths? They are amazing for buffing mirrors, shower doors, taps and tiles.
I use a white vinegar solution and really impressed with the results.
When I have a bath, I clean the faucet and around the tub, while I am in it. Sure makes things easier
I have a scrub brush on a mop/broom stick. They used to sell these in most hardware stores. This is one of the BEST ideas I found. I also like the scrubbing bubbles, so after spraying some on, with the length of the broom stick, I am able to ‘scrub’ the tile wall above the tub. After, I then do the bathtub with cleanser, also with this scrub brush. The remaining tiles on the other side of the bathroom I wipe down with a damp rag that I’ve done ‘bubbles’ on. I can knock out my bathroom in an hour or less.
I like that idea!
While these are all great tips (especially clean the kitchen as you go) I’ve got to say I had myself a bit of a laugh over it. I do every single one of these things and my house is still a constant mess. Some of these are clearly geared toward very small families or singles- I’d be in big trouble if I only did the laundry once a week and I ran my dishwasher 4 times yesterday! I think the last one on here should be “Wait patiently and keep working at it until your small children are older” because no matter how much you clean, small people make mess! I soooo look forward to the day when they are able to help clean more than they help dirty up the house!
When my children were little it was harder to keep clean, but a few rules definitely helped. Everyone had to remove their shoes when entering the home. Food was only allowed at the table. Not in the family room, and not on the sofas. Everyone had to throw their dirty laundry in the hamper, even the little ones. I tried reducibg laundry, by reusing towels. I hung themup aftwr the bath and they reused it the next time. Only washed the towels once a week. After the kids bathed, the towels were clean, why wash them. Also, in the winter, they wore their outfits for 2 days instead of one, if they were clean. Another tip, you can do one load every night. When the kids are in bed, throw their clothes in the wash, and then dryer, and put them on the next day, this way no folding and putting away. You can do that on bz days. Also, I didn’t let the little kids serve themselves. That way I reduced spills. Also, wash up the little childrens hands as sin as they are sticky, that will prevent them from touching everything around the house and making it sticky and dirty. Bottom line is, prevention is the name of the game, not cleaning.
But Katie, they’ll be almost young adults and ready to spread their wings. My eaglets are 18 and 14….and they still can make a mess. Enjoy those remaining “messy years.”
Two things:
1) Label/date every leftover you put in the fridge. You will be surprised how long some things have been in the fridge. Since I have a low sense of smell. My motto is: when in doubt, toss it out!
2) Keep a running list of what you store in the freezer. Add it when it goes in and mark it off when you remove it!
I had my own cleaning business. I. vac’d my home and cleaned baths everyday before work. I could thoroughly clean 2 houses a day. Approximately 4000 sq. Feet
I loved cleaning.
i would thoroughly clean 2 rooms a week
In family room I would move furniture to vac under .take off cushions and vac etc
This way two rooms done like spring cleaning. The rest of the house was normal cleaning.
For those who hatr cleaning, it’s not the cleanimg you hate it’s the uncluttering. Once that’s done its easy .
Get in the habit of picking up constantly. Sounds worsr than it is. If youre in the bathroom check out if something doesn’t belong as you leave take it with you
I learned this as a waitress. Never lleave a room empty handed never go to a room
Empty handed.
Go through mail daily. Chuck any thing not important. Toss newspapers daily. Try to keep kitchen counters clear.
once you get in yhe habit you will wonder what took you so long! Clutter is 3/4 the work.
I wish this would be taught in school to children as a reinforced life lesson. Parents and the community would gain from the early start of respecting property and managing time. Children also feel good about themselves everytime they accomplish something, chore.
Taught in school! We’ve got enough to teach them. How about the PARENTS teaching them this???
I am a retired teacher. I agree. The beds, dishes, and laundry are at home. Teach it there. Tho my granddaughter goes to a wonderful Montessori school where the kids help the teacher keep the room clean, straighten books and always put things away where they belong.
I am a retired Special Education teacher. I agree that both parents and teachers need to work towards training children to clean up after themselves. In my elementary classroom, each child had a task to complete each afternoon before the dismissal bell. If a student were absent, others picked up his assigned task. Everyone helped keep the classroom tidy. Little folks love to help with chores!! In my high school classroom, the students picked up around their desks right before leaving for their next class. Students will help keep things organized…you just have to “have a rule for it”.
Make the bed first thing? That way you will have a smelly bed. It should air out for a while before you make it.
I agree! I’ve never understood the whole “make the bed immediately upon getting out of it” concept — let it air out while eating breakfast, showering, brushing teeth, etc.
When you get up you can air it as you go to the bathroom, wash up for your day, pick out your clothes, get dressed, made up and before you leave your bedroom for the day, take 5 minutes or less, and make your bed. You’ve now given it 15 minutes to a 1/2 hour of airing.
Not enough – the average person sweats a pint of water per night. Beds should be allowed to air all day. And not with the duvet/blankets rolled into a heap either – they should be folded back over the end of the bed and allowed to air properly.
Thumbs up on Montessori schools.
Leaving your shoes at the door also prevents unseen toxins like pesticides and car/street oils and chemicals from entering your home.
Very true. That’s my rule too.
I’ve always followed these simple rules. People often wonder if I live at all in my house or office b/c it’s so clean and tidy. I try and explain if you stay on top of things chaos and clutter won’t happen. It’s not like I spend hours a day cleaning…though it looks like I did. 🙂
Call me OCD if you want. I love the smell and feel of a clean house. I fluff my pillows, bedspread weekly in the dryer. I wash my sheets on hot and add along with detergent, white vinegar in all my laundry. This helps eliminate body odors.
Velsey,
I think you may like my tip on left over bones and other organic foods. If I have these kinds of meals and the trash isn’t collected for a few days I wrap ihem in a pk
Plastic bag and put them in a marked container in the freezer…that way there is no smell, no mess and no critters to bother it if it’s been sitting out there for several days. Just plop the frozen bundle in the can and off it goes. I know this sounds odd, but remember the frozen left overs are still fresh when you freeze them!
Such a great idea. Thank you. We have fish several times a week and never thought of freezing as a stop gap measure between cooking and trash pick up. Thank you.
Hey I was wondering where the bedding was purchased. It’s just what I was looking for and couldn’t find. Great tips by the way.
My two favorite cleaning tips are: throw the dirty pots and pans in the oven; no-one looks there, and buy some cheap get well cards to display on your mantle. This works best if you leave the vacuum out in the middle of the living room, and change the cards around once in a while!
This comment reminds me of the late great Irma Bombeck.
My 18 month old cleans up after himself as best he can. I didnt teach him this. He learned by watching how we live. If you want your kiddos to help they will. Just let them and dont tell them they are doing it wrong when they try.
Great tips all around!
Thank you for sharing everyone.
When I fry fish. To get smell out I put 1/2 cup coffee grounds and put it on a frying pan, heat it up and just walk around house. The house will smell like a fresh pot of coffee. It does absorb the odors.
Brilliant! I shall be trying that one, thank you.
Laundry day? I do a couple loads every day so the clothes are always clean and I’m never overwhelmed unless we’ve been on vacation.
Way too many ads! could hardly find the content!
Thank you for your feedback 🙂
I really enjoy the tips. I too put food in the freezer.until garbage pickup day.
Thanks
Here in Ireland, we have a saying ‘don’t set it down, put it away!’
This helps me a lot!
Ah, so great reading something like this! Sometimes I feel so overwhelmed that even making the bed is a terrible task to accomplish, so it’s really nice to read an inspiring post like this, thanks for it
Not really related to inside of house but I have a sponge mop that i use to wash windows outside very fast and easy …
That’s a great idea!